The White House said on Tuesday that President Joe Biden would veto a House GOP bill intended to pressure him to send weapons to Israel, The Hill reported.
The pushback comes ahead of an expected vote this week on the Israel Security Assistance Support Act, which was introduced by Republican lawmakers after Biden warned last week that he would withhold certain offensive weapons for Israel if its forces invaded Rafah in Gaza.
The White House on Tuesday cautioned that the legislation “would undermine the President’s ability to execute an effective foreign policy.”
“This bill could raise serious concerns about infringement on the President’s authorities under
“The President has been clear: we will always ensure Israel has what it needs to defend itself. Our commitment to Israel is ironclad,” the White House added.
The House bill urges the “expeditious delivery” of defense articles and services to Israel, condemns the Biden administration’s decision to pause shipments to Israel and reaffirms Israel’s right to self-defense.
It also calls for funds for the secretaries of Defense and State and the National Security Council to be withheld until defense articles are delivered to Israel.
The White House statement was published just as The Wall Street Journal reported that the Biden administration had notified Congress that it is moving forward with more than $1 billion in new weapons deals for Israel.
The latest weapons package includes the potential transfer of $700 million in tank ammunition, $500 million in tactical vehicles and $60 million in mortar rounds, officials said.
The munitions are intended to replenish stocks used during the war against Hamas, according to the report.
